A person that is handicapped, elderly, or otherwise has limited mobility may not be able to efficiently clean the perineal area, which is necessary for personal hygiene and comfort, as well as to prevent adverse skin conditions. For example, a person with limited mobility, such as a person with a severe back injury, may not be able to reach the anal area for removing feces after a bowel movement. It would be advantageous for the person with limited mobility to be able to stand upright while cleaning the perineal area, but the available cleaning devices have limitations and do not fully meet the needs of a person with limited mobility.
For example, handheld shower wands may be used to attempt to wash the perineal area, but the spray wand often has a spray that is too strong for the delicate skin of the perineal area, is typically too short, is hard to manipulate to direct the water delivery angle, is angled incorrectly for directing the spray onto the perineal area. Additionally, washing feces onto the bottom surface of the shower or tub may not only be distasteful and unsanitary, but the person with limited mobility is not likely to be able to reach to the bottom surface of the shower or tub to clean and remove any residual waste.
Some perineal cleansing systems are designed for hospital use by a caregiver but are too complex and expensive for personal use. Some perineal cleansing systems, such as bidets, require major plumbing alternations to the building in which it will be installed, necessitate that enough floor space be available for the bidet, and involve additional construction work.
Accordingly, a handheld personal perineal cleansing device is needed that is specifically designed to clean the delicate skin of the perineal area, that prevents feces from being deposited on the floor of the shower or bathtub, that does not require major plumbing alternations to install, that does not use additional floor space to install, and does not involve any construction work to install.